An inside look at the Bradley basketball 2026-27 non-conference schedule

PEORIA – The Bradley Braves men’s basketball team will have five non-conference games against teams projected to be Quad 1 or 2 opponents in the NCAA NET rankings in the 2026-27 season.

The Braves released their non-conference schedule on Aug. 27, and it included a visit from Green Bay, the team BU head coach Brian Wardle helmed before coming to the Hilltop.

The Braves play a home-away, two-game series with Pacific, face North Texas, Davidson and George Mason among opponents that were Quad 1 or 2 teams in the NET rankings last season and project to be there again.

Davidson and North Texas will come to Peoria for return games in 2027.

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The scheduling of the two-game series with Pacific indicates a trend in D-1 basketball.

“It’s a home-and-home in the same year, as both teams were struggling to find good opponents to play them, so this worked out for us,” Wardle said. “It worked out well. Around the Missouri Valley Conference and other leagues, a lot of teams are starting to do these series.”

The MVC requires its teams to schedule at least four Quad 1-2 opponents in non-conference play to increase the conference's stature toward NCAA Tournament bid consideration. The two games with Pacific helped Bradley get there.

“It’s going to be exciting to play Green Bay in the regular-season for the first time, they have a strong team there,” Wardle said. “It will be a challenge. Really, every game is competitive.

“I think a lot of these are dangerous games. We’re going to know a lot about our team after the first few weeks of the season, with Pacific at home, then at Davidson, then George Mason at St. Pete. That’s literally three teams in (27 days) that could be in the Top 100 this season.”

The Braves will get on the court with a pair of exhibition games, Oct. 23 at St. Louis and Oct. 28 at home against SIUE.

Bradley’s 2026-27 non-conference schedule follows:

Monmouth College at Bradley

Monday, Nov. 2: The Scots roster includes several players with Peoria-area prep roots, including Zay Brown (Quest Charter Academy), LJ Ashby (Richwoods), Nathan Cluskey (Metamora), Jerry Hahn (Dee-Mack) and Miller Reynolds (Tremont).

Pacific at Bradley

Saturday, Nov. 7: The Tigers were 18-15 last season in the West Coast Conference and carried a NET ranking of 114. They lost in the conference quarterfinals to Santa Clara. The Braves are 3-1 all-time and last faced Pacific in 2013.

Bradley at Davidson

Tuesday, Nov. 10: The Braves travel to North Carolina to face a Davidson team that went 20-14 last season in the Atlantic-10 Conference. They had a 112 NET rank and earned a spot in the NIT, where they lost in the first round.

They have a 6-foot-6, 230-pound guard in Josh Scovens who averaged 11.1 points per game last season.

The Showdown in St. Pete

Thursday, Nov. 12: Bradley vs Coppin State.

Saturday, Nov. 14: Bradley vs George Mason.

Both games are part of an invite in St. Petersburg, Florida, at McArthur Center on the Eckerd College campus.

George Mason had an NET ranking of 94 last season and went 22-10 in the Atlantic-10 Conference.

Purdue-Fort Wayne at Bradley

Wednesday, Nov. 18: The Mastodons were 17-15 last season in the Horizon League and lost to Green Bay in the opener of the conference tournament last spring.

Bradley at Pacific

Saturday, Nov. 21: The Braves head to Stockton, California for a rematch of the two-game series.

Chicago State at Peoria

Saturday, Nov. 28: The Cougars were 7-25 in the NEC last season.

Loras College at Bradley

Tuesday, Dec. 1: The Duhawks went 20-8 last season and earned a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.

Bradley at North Texas

Friday, Dec. 4: The Braves head to Denton, Texas to take on the former Missouri Valley Conference member. The Mean Green were 19-14 last season in the American Conference. They had a 135 ranking in the NET.

Green Bay at Bradley

Tuesday, Dec. 8: The Phoenix went 18-15 last season under Doug Gottlieb, and make their first visit to Carver Arena against Wardle.

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Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: An inside look at the Bradley basketball 2026-27 non-conference schedule